Q & A
EDITOR ’ S
The world of work has fundamentally changed over the last two years , with work from home ( WFH ) now firmly entrenched as both normal and desirable . This shift away from the secure networks of a closed office environment , toward more open networking using various cloud services and public internet , has been something of a challenge . The softwaredefined wide area network ( SD-WAN ) has seen increasingly widespread adoption to address this challenge , particularly with overlying technologies such as the secure access service edge ( SASE ). This is an opportunity for the next phase of growth of
NAVINDER SINGH , GM , IN2IT TECHNOLOGIES
the multi-cloud , enabling more services to be easily accessed from the cloud and driving work from home ( WFH ) into the future .
The migration of legacy systems to next-generation technologies always poses a challenge , and in this case may require a significant amount of effort from channel partners . It can also be a costly exercise to migrate existing networks onto an SD-WAN infrastructure , because this new protocol uses virtualisation extensively , which may not be supported by existing infrastructure . This would then mean that the entire backbone would need to be overhauled .
It is also vital to have quality of service ( QoS ) enabled when migrating to a new network protocol , to ensure that priorities for network traffic are configured correctly . As SD-WAN is all software-driven , this last element is more critical than ever . In light of these challenges , it has become increasingly important to have the right IT partner on board to ensure that migration and transition is properly planned and can run smoothly . Every business is unique , and their network requirements , particularly around performance and reliability , are no different – especially when it comes to facilitating a remote workforce . SD-WAN offers a next-generation solution to this challenge , enabling the use of multiple access technologies and multiple security protocols , to create an aggregated solution that meets the needs of any business .
SD-WAN simplifies networks by reducing the cost and complexity of infrastructure , improves speed at remote locations , and enables security policies to be consistently applied across the network . WAN services can be rolled out quickly and easily to remote sites for enhanced agility , with configurations to ensure business-critical traffic is given priority for improved performance . SD-WAN also facilitates the use of flexible Virtual Private Networks
( VPNs ) across the network or at specific sites as needed and improves security with a wide range of integrated security features to help prevent data loss and downtime .
In addition , SD-WAN lowers complexity , reducing the burden on IT by simplifying WAN infrastructure , and reduces cost by leveraging local internet access and providing direct cloud access . This in turn enables cloud to become further entrenched for greater WFH support , because cloud services no longer need to be routed through a central data centre . Ultimately , SD-WAN offers greater flexibility , visibility and control over networks while lowering costs .
The most important aspect of enabling WFH is security , which makes networks critical , and SD-WAN , with SASE on top of it , enables a plethora of ‘ As-a-service ’ offerings , including firewalls , security , privacy and more . It also forms a solid foundation for the implementation of Zero-Touch Networks ( ZTN ) which ensures enhanced security with identity and access management , while minimising the need for human intervention .
SD-WAN is effectively an umbrella technology , and a platform upon which a variety of next-generation services , including security and accessibility , can be built . This underlying technology enables the integration of cloud security applications into business networks , to facilitate WFH in a secure , agile , compliant and completely scalable manner .
As with any technology transition , having an experienced partner that understands both technology and business is instrumental . The ultimate goal of SD-WAN is to enable flexibility and easier management , which requires a well-planned and well executed migration . A trusted IT partner will ensure that the promise of SD-WAN , including cost savings , improved performance , enhanced reliability and increased cloud readiness , are actually delivered .
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